Justin Bieber attends the 3rd annual Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards during the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival at NYU Paulson Auditorium in New York April 27, 2012. (Photo : Reuters)

Justin Bieber was pictured at a party in a Newport Beach hotel on January 2 holding what appears to be a marijuana joint.

The pictures were published on celebrities' site TMZ.com on Friday with the site reporting that there was "a lot" of pot smoke in the party. (See the pictures here)

Bieber has not commented directly on the photos but a series of tweets posted on Saturday made his fans believe he may be aware of the new scandal.

"Everyday growing and learning. Trying to be better," Bieber Tweeted on Saturday.

"Back on tour tomorrow...ready to see u all smile. time to do what im supposed to be doing, performing," his next tweet said.

"I see all of u..i hear all of u. I never want to let any of you down. i love u. and..thank u!" he added.

"Like i said...2013...new challenges, new doubters...Im ready...We are ready...see u all tomorrow and everyday after that," he added.

The photos are specially sensitive because Bieber has a huge fan base of teenagers and younger children.

After the images surfaced online, people stormed Twitter with criticism.

"Justin Bieber is a bad role model," one user on Twitter wrote.

"But mom Justin Bieber smokes weed," another wrote.

TMZ reports that Bieber was with his friend Lil Twist at the party and that a girl that was not Selena Gomez "crashed in the hotel room with Justin."

Bieber and Gomez reportedly vacationed together in Mexico days before New Year's Eve but the trip ended with a figh and a fresh split. An insider said the pair fought in Mexico on Dec. 30 and broke up.

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